The Meaning of Isaiah 23:18 Explained

Isaiah 23:18

KJV: And her merchandise and her hire shall be holiness to the LORD: it shall not be treasured nor laid up; for her merchandise shall be for them that dwell before the LORD, to eat sufficiently, and for durable clothing.

YLT: And her merchandise and her gift have been holy to Jehovah, Not treasured up nor stored, For to those sitting before Jehovah is her merchandise, To eat to satiety, and for a lasting covering!

Darby: And her merchandise and her hire shall be holy to Jehovah: it shall not be treasured nor laid up; for her merchandise shall be for them that dwell before Jehovah, to eat and be sufficed, and for excellent clothing.

ASV: And her merchandise and her hire shall be holiness to Jehovah: it shall not be treasured nor laid up; for her merchandise shall be for them that dwell before Jehovah, to eat sufficiently, and for durable clothing.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And her merchandise  and her hire  shall be holiness  to the LORD:  it shall not be treasured  nor laid up;  for her merchandise  shall be for them that dwell  before  the LORD,  to eat  sufficiently,  and for durable  clothing. 

What does Isaiah 23:18 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Unlike a selfish prostitute, however, Tyre would set aside her income to the Lord, and it would benefit those who dwell in the Lord"s presence. The wages of a prostitute were unacceptable offerings to the Lord under the Old Covenant ( Deuteronomy 23:18). When the Jewish exiles returned from Babylon, the merchants of Tyre sold them building materials for the second temple ( Ezra 3:7), as they had done for the first temple during Solomon"s reign ( 1 Kings 5:1-12). But the change in the Tyrians" attitude that this verse promises did not mark them then; they still engaged in commerce for selfish ends. Thus this verse looks beyond the history of ancient Tyre to a time yet future when God will transform hearts and cause Gentiles worldwide to come and worship Him (cf. Isaiah 60:5-9; Revelation 21:24-26). In the future Tyre will have a new status, a new spirit, and a new allegiance (cf. Psalm 87:4). She will join the Ethiopians, Egyptians, Assyrians ( Isaiah 18:7; Isaiah 19:18-25), and many other Gentiles in uniting to fulfill God"s glorification of Israel.
"The care of a Phoenician widow once extended to a prophet ( 1 Kings 17:8-16) will be the norm of coming relationships." [1]
The Judeans should not envy the Tyrians, nor should God"s people of any era envy materialistic idolaters. Ultimately God"s people will enjoy all the wealth of Tyre that will come to her God.
". . . chs13-23seem to be saying that since the glory of the nations (chs13 , 14) equals nothing, and since the scheming of the nations (chs14-18) equals nothing, and since the vision of this nation (chs21 , 22) equals nothing, and since the wealth of the nations (ch23) equals nothing, don"t trust the nations! The same is true today. If we believe that a system of alliances can save us, we have failed to learn the lessons of Isaiah and of history. God alone is our refuge and strength ( Psalm 46:2 [2])." [3]

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 23

1  The miserable overthrow of Tyre
15  Her restoration and unfaithfulness

What do the individual words in Isaiah 23:18 mean?

And will be Her gain and her pay set apart for Yahweh not it will be treasured nor laid up for those who dwell before Yahweh will be for her gain to eat sufficiently for clothing fine -
וְהָיָ֨ה סַחְרָ֜הּ וְאֶתְנַנָּ֗הּ קֹ֚דֶשׁ לַֽיהוָ֔ה לֹ֥א יֵֽאָצֵ֖ר וְלֹ֣א יֵֽחָסֵ֑ן כִּ֣י לַיֹּשְׁבִ֞ים לִפְנֵ֤י יְהוָה֙ יִֽהְיֶ֣ה סַחְרָ֔הּ לֶאֱכֹ֥ל לְשָׂבְעָ֖ה וְלִמְכַסֶּ֥ה עָתִֽיק פ

וְהָיָ֨ה  And  will  be 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
סַחְרָ֜הּ  Her  gain 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person feminine singular
Root: סַחַר  
Sense: traffic, gain, profit, gain from merchandise.
וְאֶתְנַנָּ֗הּ  and  her  pay 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person feminine singular
Root: אֶתְנָן  
Sense: hire of prostitute, price.
קֹ֚דֶשׁ  set  apart 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: קֹדֶשׁ  
Sense: apartness, holiness, sacredness, separateness.
לַֽיהוָ֔ה  for  Yahweh 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
יֵֽאָצֵ֖ר  it  will  be  treasured 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָצַר  
Sense: to store up, save, lay up.
וְלֹ֣א  nor 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
יֵֽחָסֵ֑ן  laid  up 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: חָסַן  
Sense: (Niphal) to be treasured up, be hoarded, be laid up, be stored.
לַיֹּשְׁבִ֞ים  those  who  dwell 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: יָשַׁב 
Sense: to dwell, remain, sit, abide.
לִפְנֵ֤י  before 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, common plural construct
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
יְהוָה֙  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
יִֽהְיֶ֣ה  will  be 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
סַחְרָ֔הּ  for  her  gain 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person feminine singular
Root: סַחַר  
Sense: traffic, gain, profit, gain from merchandise.
לֶאֱכֹ֥ל  to  eat 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: אָכַל  
Sense: to eat, devour, burn up, feed.
לְשָׂבְעָ֖ה  sufficiently 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, feminine singular
Root: שָׂבְעָה  
Sense: satisfaction, satiety, one’s fill.
וְלִמְכַסֶּ֥ה  for  clothing 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מְכַסֶּה  
Sense: covering, that which covers.
עָתִֽיק  fine 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: עָתִיק  
Sense: eminent, surpassing, choice, splendid.
פ  - 
Parse: Punctuation